Packaged articles are often provided with a thin film wrapper. The wrapper may be provided with a tear tape. Such tape helps the consumer to open the wrapper by pulling on the tear tape. Typically, such wrapper additionally comprises a tab (pull tab) at one end of the tear tape to facilitate identification and grasping of the tear tape. Examples of packaged articles provided with a film wrapper comprising a tear tape include cigarette cartons, compact disc and DVD cases, video and audio cassette boxes and food and beverage containers.
For example, cigarette cartons, also referred to as bundles, are typically over wrapped with a heat-shrinkable polyolefin film provided with a tear tape and a pull tab. Such cartons contain several packs of cigarettes, for example ten packs arranged in two superimposed rows of five packs each. In use, the over wrapper is separated into at least two pieces along the line of the tear tape by the consumer's grasping on a pull tab, which is provided in the film in line with the tear tape, and pulling along the line of the tear tape. Usually, the tear tape is not located in the center of the film wrapper but rather divides the film wrapper into two pieces of different size. These two pieces should be completely removed to enable access to the contents of the carton. However, the more tightly the film is wrapped around the carton, the more difficult it is to remove all of the over wrapper. In particular, the larger piece of the film wrapper is difficult to remove. Thus the consumer often struggles to remove the wrapper and may find it necessary to use an additional instrument, such as a knife, a pair of scissors, or other sharp instrument, to remove all parts of the film wrapper. This is inconvenient not least because the consumer may not have a suitable additional instrument readily at hand. Furthermore, use of such instrument involves the risk of damaging the article.